Andrew Cuomo on Gun Control

Democratic Governor

7-point agenda to stop the madness of gun violence

In the area of public safety, gun violence has been on a rampage as we know painfully. We must stop the madness, my friends. And in one word it is just enough. It has been enough. We need a gun policy in this state that is reasonable, that is balanced,
that is measured. We respect hunters and sportsmen. This is not taking away people's guns. I own a Remington shotgun. I've hunted, I've shot. That's not what this is about. It is about ending the unnecessary risk of high-capacity assault rifles.
That's what this is about. We have a seven point agenda.

Enact the toughest assault weapon ban in the nation period.

Close the private sale loophole by requiring federal background checks.

Guns impose huge economic costs, as well as lives

Guns have both a noble and a tragic tradition in America and in New York State. They are a sign of our nation's fiercely defended independence and self-reliance.

Guns not only cost us lives, but they also impose huge economic costs.
Emergency rooms treat nearly 500,000 nonfatal gunshot injuries from assaults nationwide, costing an estimated $2 billion a year, half of which cost is borne by the public.

Fear of gun violence invades neighborhoods, causing disruptions in the normal rhythms of life, work and school. That threat depresses property values and puts a drag on economic development.

It does not have to be this way. We can ensure that we promote safe ownership of guns

Ban assault weapons and large capacity magazines

[Some guns are] so dangerous and some ammunition devices so lethal that we simply cannot afford to continue selling them in our state. With military-style features that are unneeded and unwanted for hunting and sporting purposes, assault weapons are this
kind of weapon. And large capacity magazines are this kind of ammunition device.

Our state has had a ban on assault weapons since 2000, but it is so riddled with loopholes that it has become virtually unenforceable. We do not ban large capacity
magazines manufactured prior to the enactment of the federal assault weapons ban in 1994--magazines with the capacity to hold upwards of 30, 50, or even 100 rounds. It is virtually impossible for law enforcement to determine whether a large capacity
magazine was manufactured prior to 1994, and, as a result, we effectively have no ban.

In order to fix this problem, Gov. Cuomo will propose tightening our assault weapons ban and eliminating large capacity magazines regardless of date of manufacture.

Enact commonsense laws lie microstamping of guns

We must keep our communities safe. Gun violence remains one our most serious problems. We must enact commonsense gun safety laws, such as requiring the microstamping of guns. Microstamping--a pro-law enforcement, low cost method of expanding the ability
of police to identify guns used in illegal activities--would require all new semiautomatic handguns to be equipped with microscopic identifying markings, which are transferred to each cartridge case when the firearm is fired.

The Christian Coalition voter guide [is] one of the most powerful tools Christians have ever had to impact our society during elections. This simple tool has helped educate tens of millions of citizens across this nation as to where candidates for public office stand on key faith and family issues.

The CC survey summarizes candidate stances on the following topic: "Further restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms"